1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hair treatment composition. More particularly, it relates to a hair treatment composition showing conditioning effects which can be maintained for a prolonged period of time.
This invention further relates to a hair dye composition which is excellent in dyeing properties, imparts a good feeling to the hair and is highly safe to the hair and the skin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hair is damaged, hardened and electrostatically charged due to various physical or chemical treatments, for example shampooing, brushing, drying with a hair dryer, perming or dyeing. In order to maintain beautiful and healthy hair, therefore, it is required to prevent the damage and to soften the hair.
For these purposes, various components have been added to hair cosmetics including rinse and treatment.
In hair treatment and rinse compositions containing a quaternary ammonium salt, a conventional ingredient, the conditioning effect is merely based on the affinity of the quaternary ammonium salt and thus insufficient conditioning is achieved. For example, such a conditioning effect will resist swimming or sweat but is washed out when the hair is washed with a shampoo. This suggests that the conditioning effect of the hair treatment composition is unsatisfactory.
In the case of a shampoo containing a cationized polymer marketed in recent years, mainly a certain/anion complex adsorbs to the surface of the hair and thus the conditioning effects cannot be maintained for a prolonged period of time. When this shampoo is used, furthermore, a treatment with a rinse would rather lose the conditioning effects.
In the case of an oxidation hair dye which has been frequently used, on the other hand, hydrogen peroxide is reacted under alkaline conditions. Thus there is a risk in some cases that the hair is damaged or that primary skin irritation is induced thereby. Therefore attempts have been made to develop a hair dye with the use of an acidic dye which scarcely affects the scalp or the hair. However commercially available hair dyes containing acidic dyes contain benzyl alcohol as a penetration accelerator, which causes some problems regarding dyeing ability or allergy.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 228407/1985 disclosed a hair dye composition comprising a dopa analog, a penetration accelerator and an oxidizing agent. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 3933422 disclosed a hair dye composition comprising a metal-containing dye and a penetration accelerator.
However the hair dye composition described in the aforesaid Japanese Patent is poor in the variation of color tone since the color of the dopa analog is developed only a black tone. Furthermore, the employed oxidant damages the hair.
On the other hand, the hair dye composition described in the aforesaid U.S. patent shows ununiformity in dyeing and poor penetration into the hair. In addition, the metal (chromium or cobalt) employed therein causes some problems from the viewpoints of feeling and safety.